The First Step
by care-kt55
Summary: A week after Marc and Cliff break up, they go on a trip that will change them forever. Will Marc find love again with Cliff and will Cliff ever forgive Marc for what he did?
1. The Call

"_Click_. Um hi Marc, it's Cliff. I uh, hope you remember me. But um, how could you not I guess. Ok, uh that sounded stupid. Woah! Uh that was kind of idiotic of me to say out loud. Um, I just wanted to talk about what happened last week, so call me I guess, and if you don't want to call uh, you can meet me at that place on the corner, you know, with the mini burgers and croissants that you like, ok, I know you didn't want me to repeat that you liked a type of burger product but, don't worry, I wont tell anybody. Um, this call is probably costing way more than what I expected so yeah, bye. It's Cliff by the way."

Marc held his finger over the delete button. He hesitated, but he couldn't bring himself to erase the message Cliff had left last night on his answering machine. I

t had been exactly a week and two days, five hours and twenty-five minutes since they had broken up. Marc had been counting.

Marc knew he didn't have to go and talk to Cliff. He could always stay in with Amanda and watch Lifetime made for TV movies like they did every Sunday, but thinking about Cliff's face when Marc had told him about the cheating at the infamous "after party" made Marc really want to just hug Cliff and tell him he was sorry.

There was something about Cliff. Something different than all the rest of the models and waiters Marc had every dated.

Cliff was different. He wasn't just the same guy in different clothes that Marc had gone on countless dates with. He was a real person with a heart.

Marc picked up the phone and dialed the number he had memorized in his head. The phone rang and rang.

"Don't pick up." Marc whispered anxiously under his breath. Sure enough, the answering machine came on, and Marc poured his heart out into the phone.


	2. The Walk

"Mandy, I just don't know why the heck he would call me after I cheated on him and them confessed! And not to mention we were engaged and hmm lets see oh! I CRASHED HIS CAR!"

Marc said to Amanda over the phone. He pulled two shirts out of his closet. One was a pink Prada and one a lavender Dolce and Gabana.

"_Well you guys obviously had a connection I guess. I mean I've never seen you look at anyone like that before."_

Amanda said into the other end of the phone, she was stuffing her face with Cheetos.

"Yeah ok, ok, I guess I did have a thing for him. But I only proposed to him because I was scared you know, that I would _cheat_ again, and he doesn't know that, so do you think I should tell him that?"

Marc chose the D&G and threw the Prada into the back of his closet.

"_Didn't you already say that over the phone last night?" Amanda noted. She was out of Cheetos. Whatever, she thought to herself. I'll just borrow some of Betty's ramen._

"Yeah, ok, ok. Mandy, I'm just scared. Uh! I don't think I can even eat a mini burger now!"

Marc slumped down onto his bed.

"_Marc, you're really blowing this wayyyyyyyyy out of proportion! I mean, just talk to the guy. God, I hope he lost some weight!"_

Amanda said, shoving a raw piece of ramen into her mouth, then spitting it out onto the floor.

"Amanda, stop it, ok fine, I'll talk to him, but the last time I tried to do that, well, things didn't work out so well. Oh my god! Is it five already! The reservation is at five thirty!"

"_Calm down loverboy, Cliff's such a slob anyway he probably wont show until at least 11."_

"Shut up Amanda." He said and hung up the phone. That would get her going for a while. Marc pulled a brown jacket over the shirt he was wearing and looked at himself in the mirror for a second and then ran out the door.

The stairs seemed endless. A couple old ladies with Chihuahuas climbed the Mount Everest of a staircase only to find they had left their keys at the Laundromat. Marc tried to keep himself together. He hoped Cliff wouldn't ditch him, but for some reason, he was scared to see him in the first place.

Ron, the doorman avoided looking Marc directly in the eye. They dated for about lets see, a night last September and Marc had avoided him ever since. The weather was brisk. It was cold, but not _just_ cold, the air went through your skin and sent shivers down your spine.

Marc took small steps, he knew that every step he took, he got closer to something he had wanted back for the longest time, but had no way of retrieving. The restaurant was in sight. He could see people laughing and drinking coffee outside and prayed that Cliff wasn't one of them.

note from the author: SOOOOOOOO SORRY THIS TOOK ME SOOOOO LONG TO WRITE I PROMISE ONE NEW CHAPTER EACH WEEK!!!!


End file.
